The Tornado is the largest European military aircraft program. The Tornado is inuse with four Air Forces. The employment spectrum of this fighter-bomber includes Offensive Air Support for ground forces, containment of the battlefieldand the fight against enemy air forces on the ground and in the air. It also features an electronic Flight Control System and an Automatic Terrain Following System.

Due to its "Swing-Wing" technology, the Tornado is equally able to fly low-level at both high speed (swept-wing) and low speed (un-swept). With combat performance upgrades and modifications, the Tornado will remain combat ready foranother 10 years.

During World War II, the Boeing B-17 was the best-known heavily armed strategic bomber, although with a total build of 12,677 it was far from the most numerous plane of its type. It kept the name "Flying Fortress" that it received from an American journalist at the time of its first flight.
The Boeing B-17F was the first mass-produced Flying Fortress.

The most famous plane of this series was the B-17F-10-BO made by Boeing which on 15th July 1942 was delivered to and put into service with 324 Bomber Squadron, 91 Bomber Group at Bassingbourn, England. The crew gave it the nickname "Memphis Belle" after the lady-friend of the pilot Lt. Robert K. Morgan. Its fame resulted from the fact that it was officially the first US Army Air Force bomber in Europe to survive 25 missions and it was made the star of a Hollywood propaganda film. After this mission the Memphis Belle and its crew were ordered back to the USA. Later it was bought by the city of Memphis and set up as a memorial in the open air. In 2004 the B-17F underwent a complete restoration. Today the Memphis Belle is again accessible to the public.

The AH-64D Longbow Apache is currently the most advanced, versatile and powerfully armed attack helicopter in the world. This upgraded version of the Apache was used extremely effectively by the US Army in the Gulf Wars of 1991 and 2003. The long-range radar can be used for protection, but it is also capable of accurately acquiring up to 1000 potential targets and identifying 128 opponents.

It also automatically designates the priorities for the attack mode of up to 16 Hellfire guided missiles. The Longbow system consists primarily of the fire control radar which is located atop the mast above the rotor. This Longbow system, together with the modern digital avionics and weapons, ultimately makes the AH-64D 16 times more effective that its predecessor. The British Army uses 60 WAH-64D Apaches built by Westland, which have been further modified to meet British requirements. The Dutch air force also uses a great number of these attack helicopters.

The Bell UH-1 Iroquois - better know as the Huey - gained fame when it was used by the American forces in the Vietnam War of the sixties. It became an irreplaceable piece of modern battlefield equipment that saw rescue, troop transport and armed escort duty. When the heavy machine guns, rocket pods and nose mounted grenade launcher were introduced, the UH-1B and C received the nickname "Huey Hog".

The PBY Catalina is the world's most famous and widely used flying boat in the history of aviation. With its characteristic droplet-shaped weapon bays on the sides of the hull and self-sealing fuel tanks the PBY became the U.S. Navy's standard reconnaissance aircraft from 1941 onwards. An endurance of 24 hours at cruising speed was possible with this aircraft.

In addition to long-range reconnaissance and convoy protection, the PBY was primarily used to hunt submarines and surface ships and attack them with depth charges or torpedoes. The PBY-5A made its maiden flight on 22 November 1939 and the first amphibious Catalina was delivered in 1941. PBY flying boats were used for maritime surveillance, submarine hunting and search and rescue with the US Navy, the Royal Navy and the naval air forces of Australia, New Zealand and Canada, the Netherlands and the Soviet Union until the mid 1950s. With a total 3272 examples it is the most prolific flying boat of all time. Over 1400 were built as PBY-5A and -6A amphibious versions. Later a batch of these aircraft were converted to fight forest fires.

• Detailed surfaces with recessed panel joints
• Large radome over the cockpit
• Detailed cockpit with instrument panel and seats
• Detailed under-carriage
• Under-carriage may be mounted in the retracted or down position
• Side observation posts, optionally with mounted MG
• Replica radial engine
• Moveable propeller
• MG in the nose turret
• Wing floats may be mounted in the retracted or deployed position
• Yagi radar antenna
• A choice of 4 bombs for underwing mounting

The Super Hornet is the latest US Navy fighter and attack aircraft. Shortly after going into service in 2002 it flew successful strike missions in Iraq. Most Tomcat fleet defence squadrons have now been equipped with the two-seat F/A-18 F variant in its role as air-superiority fighter. In addition to its fighter/bomber role the F version will also be used as a tanker.

Through the use of laser guided bombs it can acquire enemy targets much more accurately and also has an extensive arsenal of the latest generation of guided missiles. The F/A-18 F is in practice a completely new aircraft. The whole airframe is 30% larger than that of the F/A-18 D. Further modifications include more powerful engines (GE F414 each with 98 kN thrust), more fuel capacity and a longer range, together with larger upgraded cockpit displays and the new APG-79 radar. Its operational radius for attack missions if 40% greater that that of its predecessor. 8 tonnes of weaponry, fuel tanks and ECM pods can be carried on 11 external hardpoints.

The manoeuvrable F-14 is one of the most effective weapons systems used by the wester air forces and is still one of the most modern interceptors in the US Navy. Developed as an air superiority fighter, it has an outstanding performane range and, with its AW G-9 fire control radar, can fire its AIM-54 Phoenix guided missiles at up to six targets simultaneously.

The prototype was already in the air in 1970 and was thoroughly tested by Navy Test and Trial Squadron VX-4 at Pt. Mugu, before deliveries started in 1972. The initial P&W power unit was later replaced by the more powerful GE F 110. Since 1973 more than 29 US Navy squadrons have been using the F-14. The predominantly black painted F-14 "Vandy One" of the Navy Test Unit VX-4 in Pt. Mugu (California) was a sensation in 1990.

The Dassault Rafale is a new-generation ultra-modern twin-jet combat plane. It meets the combat requirements for the next century, combining in a single plane the multiple roles that otherwise would be carried out by many different types. The Rafale M is the carrier-borne naval version equipped with a reinforced undercarriage for catapult launching.

Equipped with two SNECMA M88-2 engines (each with 75 KN thrust) the Rafale reaches a speed of Mach 2. Its long range, enormous load-carrying capacity, precision fire control and survivability gives the Rafale exceptional mission effectiveness. In addition it is the best combat plane in the world that can engage in simultaneous ground attack and air defence actions. The first production plane goes into service with the French navy in 1999.

The Bf 110 was one of the most versatile twin engine combat aircraft used by the German Luftwaffe in World War II, which was produced in greatest numbers. Predominantly used as a fighter-bomber, it was also particularly successful as a night fighter, as it had been designed from the outset as a long-range twin-engine fighter with a two-man crew.

In 1942 a new series came into existence, the Bf 110 G, with new and more powerful type DB 605 engines. Production was delayed by delivery difficulties with the engines. When in November 1942 the series finally went into production, it was designated the G-2. Extensive trials were carried out with the G-4 version that was originally intended as a night fighter, including new weapons systems, such as the WT 151 pod under the fuselage or the WGr21 rockets under the wings, that were then added onto the G-2 also. In this configuration the Bf 110 was used as a destroyer to defend the Reich against the American bomber units.

Apart from the Bf109 the Spitfire is the best known and most renowned fighter plane of the Second World War, with a total build of over 22,500. Numerous improvements and upgrades meant that it was continually becoming more powerful. In 1941 the German air force put into service the Focke Wulf Fw190A that proved its superiority over the current versions of the Spitfire.

Some rapid problem-solving gave rise to the improvement of the airframe of the Spitfire Mk V by the incorporation of more powerful engines of the Merlin 61 series with a four-blade propeller. The earlier Mk IX variants were upgraded Mk Vs with different types of wings. From 1944 onwards the Spitfire Mk XVI went into production with the Merlin 66 engine. The first aircraft of the Spitfire type IX went into service with RAF No. 64 squadron in July 1942 and from then on proved to be an effective defence against the Fw190 in both the European and the Near Eastern theatres of war. The Spitfire was produced until the end of the war. A total of 5,739 of the Mk IX and 1,054 of the Mk XVI were built and served with 79 RAF operational wings, 23 Allied squadrons under RAF Fighter Command as well as 23 Canadian, 3 Australian and 9 New Zealand squadrons.